Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia unity help regional stability: Experts

Collaboration between Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia will improve stability, security and development in the region, analysts said yesterday.

Speaking at a conference in Baku, titled "Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Trilateral Relations: A look into the Future," Novruz Mammadov, a foreign policy assistant to President Ilham Aliyev, said cooperation would contribute to regional security and sustainable development. He added that the southern Caucasus region is a sensitive region and needs stability, security and sustainable development.

"Cooperation between Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia contributes to the maintenance of the region's stability, security, and sustainable development and this collaboration was not established against any institution or state," Navrouz Mammadov said.

Farhad Mammadov, director of the Center for Strategic Studies, said cooperation was especially needed in security and defense.

"Our neigboring region is not stable. All three states are included in an armed conflict in one way or another. Azerbaijan and Georgian lands are under occupation. Turkey continues its fight against terror. As such the cooperation of all three states in security and defense is a necessity and a must," Farhad Mammadov said, adding that Turkey's efforts against Daesh in Syria are praiseworthy.

Mesut Özcan, acting chairman of the Foreign Ministry's Center of Strategic Research, said Turkey wanted to improve political, economic and social relations with all its neighbors in the southern Caucasus.

"As long as political will exists, cooperation will continue. Our relations continue in trade as well. The level that Turkey-Azerbaijan bilateral trade relations have reached is obvious. Turkey has been Georgia's largest trade partner for past 10 years," he told delegates.

Özcan also added that Turkey has been in favor of protecting Azerbaijan's and Georgia's territorial integrity and that Ankara favors an international solution to this matter.